Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham winger, has recently shared his mental struggles during his tenure at Juventus. Despite being destined for greatness from a young age, the path to success was not straightforward for this talented winger.
Kulusevski first caught the public eye when he won the Serie A Young Player of the Season award in 2019-20 while on loan at Atalanta. He had reached double figures for both goals and assists that season, making him feel like he had "the world at his feet."
The Swedish player was thrilled about moving to Turin and saw it as an opportunity to learn from legends. However, despite his initial excitement about joining Juventus, things did not go as planned.
Kulusevski failed to find his feet in Turin despite all hype
At Allianz Stadium, home ground of Juventus FC, Kulusevski often found himself watching games from the sidelines rather than participating in them. This was particularly true during his final six months with the club under Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
The lack of game time coupled with mounting criticism took a toll on him mentally. He admitted feeling 'embarrassed' and 'worthless', overwhelmed by feelings of shame and disappointment.
Former Juventus forward, Dejan Kulusevski, said:
“I had barely started a game at Juventus for six months. You feel terrible because you’ve given your life to play this game, training as hard as you can, and you end up watching players play in your position that are not even wingers.
“Honestly, I felt embarrassed, even worthless. Some people began saying that I wasn’t good enough, that I was too slow. And it affects you, 100%. It’s normal, it’s human. When you begin to believe them, that’s the devil right there.
“I know the feeling is that I failed at Juventus. Well, I think that’s a strange thing to say when I won two trophies, played in both finals, and decided one of them with a goal and an assist against my former team Atalanta. But in those last six months, it is true that I had a difficult time. When I came to Spurs, I didn’t know how to get out of this negative spiral.”
Dejan Kulusevski has proved his worth in Premier League
‘Despite these challenges faced during his time at Juventus, Dejan Kulusevski is now fulfilling his potential in England's Premier League matches with Tottenham Hotspur FC.
His story serves as an important reminder that even professional athletes can face mental health struggles due to pressure and criticism in their careers. It also highlights how resilience can help overcome adversity - turning feelings of worthlessness into a sense of value and achievement.
Dejan Kulusevski's journey from Juventus to Tottenham is not just about a footballer changing clubs. It's about overcoming mental struggles, dealing with criticism, and ultimately finding success in adversity. His story is an inspiration for sports fans and sports betting fans alike - showing that even when the odds are stacked against you, perseverance can lead to victory.
